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THE EMOTIONAL GARDENER

When her shadow overwhelms her with self-sabotaging thoughts, or begins to question what she knows is right, Caroline Buchanan gets out her metaphorical trowel and tends to some emotional gardening. Could it be the perfect analogy for a happier mind?

Caroline Buchanan

The other day, I had a chat with a young man who was worried that he might shortly do something very unwise. ‘I understand what you’re saying, but you don’t have to do that,’ I said. ‘The seed is planted in my head,’ he replied. ‘But you don’t have to water it!’ I shot back at him. Where my reply came from, who knows? But it was advice I immediately decided to start taking myself.

When negative thinking, low selfesteem, worry, or the critical gremlin on your shoulder attacks, it’s time to get out the trowel and spade, and practise some emotional gardening. You need to feed and water the good stuff, weed out the rubbish, and cut out the bindweed before it grows and takes hold. Then, with the ground all beautifully prepared, you can start planting, nourishing and growing.